About DCBA - Historic Projects
Historic Projects Undertaken by the DCBA & Dublin City Council
Pedestrianisation
Many people, including overseas visitors, remark on how nice our pedestrian streets are. Overseas town centre managers are astonished at the bustling crowds on our city streets. In 1980, the DCBA initiated with the Department of Environment the pedestrianisation of Henry Street, Mary Street, Liffey Street, North Earl Street, Grafton Street, Lemon Street and Duke Street. Whilst the work by Dublin City Council has been spread over a number of years the foundation for the extension of pedestrian streets has been created. The introduction by the DCBA of electronic CCTV Footfall counting has confirmed the figures and success of the city centre as a walking and people-friendly city.
Street Art
Over the years, DCBA members have been involved in sponsoring and installing street art in public places - notably the statues of James Joyce, the ladies with the shopping bags, the girl swinging from a lamppost and Molly Malone. All of these statues were a significant departure away from revolutionary, political and religious images to reflect a more people-friendly, peaceful democracy. A large number of temporary art pieces such as the moving bird in O'Connell Street and the world famous Cow Parade, have also been displayed. The Spire of Dublin is perhaps the most recent public art project. It reflects a modern Ireland that points to the future, and at the same time is a local focal point and reflects passing Dubliners. Recent surveys by Behaviour and Attitudes on behalf of DCBA reveal that the Spire of Dublin is now seen as the new icon for Dublin.
City Centre Shopping
In the late 1960s shops closed at lunchtime on Saturdays and the pace of business was rather slower than today. Over time, the city opened for shoppers to reflect the new society emerging in Dublin. Now shops are open seven days a week including Sunday, which has become the third busiest day of the week. Late night shopping on Thursdays was led by DCBA members, and currently the shopping day is extending into later openings with many shops now open until 18.30-19.00 hours. All of this has facilitated the shopper who is time poor as a result of long commuting times. Some shops are now opening late on Wednesday nights and no doubt this will grow as city centre workers use this time for their benefit instead of wasting it as commuting time.
Capel Street and City Markets - A Way Foward June 2010
The study area of this report is defined by Capel Street which was laid out in the 17th century
and is today flanked by 18th and 19th merchant townhouses and shops. It is one of the best
known commercial streets in the city centre, home to the City Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable
Market of 1892 and the historic remnants of St. Mary’s Abbey and the Debtor’s Prison. The area
is also bounded by the institutions of Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street and the Kings
Inns and Law Library, which feed a large footfall into the commercial life of surrounding streets.
The observations and policies in this document are derived from meetings and consultation with
Mr Patrick Lenehan of Capel Street Business Association, Mr Tom Coffey, CEO of Dublin City
Business Association, and Mr Joe Crosbie, Dublin City Council, Manager of the City Wholesale
Fruit and Vegetable Market, all of whom recognise the enormous possibilities for the area and
wish to participate in managing its future development. The Capel Street/Markets area bears
testimony to the growth of the city’s development, to its monastic past, to its legal system and
its building typology, but mainly to its commercial evolution. The conclusions and
recommendations derived from this report can be summarised as follows:
* Create a gastronomic centre for the city built around the City Markets, blending locally
produced produce with ethnic stalls.
* Encourage the improvement of the quality of the shop fronts where they have been
inappropriately designed or badly maintained.
* A programme of improvements to the facades of buildings, including repair and
replacement of correct fenestration, brick cleaning and removal of redundant signage
would have a greatly enhance the street.
* Maximise on the close links in the quarter, such as between its educational and legal
institutions, as an area offering diversity for shopping and an exciting café society.
* Interpret the architectural and historical background of the area and make it more
accessible to the public. Arrange displays of aspects of its history.
* Consumer confidence is a leading indicator of recession and recovery. Measures to
underpin are essential to recovery. Vacant shops are one of the most visible impacts of
the economic downturn, therefore reducing their number is essential.
* The distinctive areas identified as a cluster should be consolidated as an economic and
social cohesive unit.
* The area designated as an Architectural Conservation Area should lead to an increase in
public awareness, interest and involvement, with more people shopping in the area and
enjoying its diversity.
* Revisit and implement Dublin City Council’s planning policies and designations for the
area, making Capel Street an Area of Special Planning Control.
Aim to develop the street as a destination for niche and specialised shopping. The existing
individual shop units are ideal for this purpose. Potential exists to pedestrianise the east-west
route from Mary Street to the Markets.
* Connectivity is very important between the defined areas which form the cluster of distinctive
districts.
* A new Luas stop should be considered to the south of the Market Hall which would greatly
increase the pedestrian flow into the area.
* Widen the footpaths, reducing the number of parking spaces and undertake tree planting
along the pavement of Capel Street. This would create an attractive environment similar to
Exchequer Street.
* Plan the transition of the Fruit and Vegetable Market from one of wholesale to retail, moving
towards the model of the English Market in Cork. This would result in new associate business
forming around it, with Capel Street the beneficiary as a shopping destination.
* With these added facilities, the existing residential population would have a better serviced
district to inhabit, thus becoming a desirable area to live in.